Military Blues
by Wildest Child
Summary: Rachel is living in New York and Puck is enlisted. Their love story isn't easy but it's worth it. Alternating pov's.
1. Rachel - 1

One hand gripping her glass of brandy and the other massaging her forehead, Rachel slumped on her barstool as the sun set on Manhattan. It had been a whole 6 months without him, 190 days exactly. Everyday she went to the studio and laughed with the children and gossiped with the women and tried to forget. But no matter what, on her way home she'd pass by their favorite bar and sometimes she'd feel the need to go in and order his favorite drink. The bar tender was a sweet guy named Nick. He usually let her sit and stare at the photo on the wall until she tried to order a third drink and he'd send her home, or worst case call Santana to pick her up. Today was one of those bad days.

"Hey Berry, time to go home." Santana wrapped her arm around Rachel trying to pull her away from the bar. With tears in her eyes, Rachel just pointed to the picture framed above the bar of Puck and Rachel. They were sitting on the bar and he's playing guitar and she's laughing. "I miss him San."

"I know you miss him but can we talk about this someplace else. I do have a bar to run." Rachel looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to bother you at work." Santana just smiled and grabbed her hand. She led Rachel outside and put her in a taxi and gave the guy an address Rachel didn't recognize. "Santana? What I thought I was going home? SANTANA!"

Santana waved to Rachel. "You are."

Rachel slumped against the seat and watched the city turn into the buzzing New York she loved. The taxi pulled up to a beautiful apartment building. The doorman opened her door and the front door to the building. A bellman opened the elevator and handed her a rose. "Third floor Ms. Berry." Rachel was too buzzed to really think about what was happening and just nodded and hit the button. The doors opened and she saw two doors on either side of the hall. She followed the one that was emitting delicious smells out of pure instinct and the rumbling in her stomach. She walked into the apartment and saw the duffel bag holding open the door N. Puckerman. Rachel started crying and ran into the door with a new found sense of sobriety. Everything was clear again and she couldn't stop crying and he turned to her from the stove and captured her in his arms. She squeezed her eyes tight and smelt his scent and buried her face in her neck. And when she pulled away to look in his eyes all she saw was the ceiling. It was just a dream, just another horrible dream.


	2. Puck - 1

Thanks to you beautiful people and your splendid reaction to my new story I woke up early and decided to get started on a new chapter. Don't hate me that the smutty stuff it's the first thing going on. Hopefully it'll come together.

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*Puck*

Lawn chairs in the middle of camp with a cooler in the center of our group's circle wasn't a proper bar but it was the closest we got. Out here in the terrible desert and the worst part isn't the constant onslaught of shells or loosing our men to it, it's leaving the one's at home. Her picture's are tucked away in a little box inside my duffel. I keep them hidden some of the boys know about her but's shes not the kind of girl 'friend' that would be cool if her pictures were getting around. Some of the guys have a lot of pictures of risqué women trying to contribute to our work overseas. But I prefer to remember Rachel the way I see her in my photographs and the constant reel of film that are the back of my eyelids. Whenever I think of Rachel, I can't help but raise a can to the stars and see her's shining down on me.

"Puckerman assemble your men, we're rolling out." The men around their cooler sobered up real fast at the mention of night time combat.

Puck stood and paid respect to his superior "Sir, Yes, Sir." And went to get outfitted in his heavy armor.

His convoy was meant to travel the road across the valley between two warring mountains. On one peak were enemy soldiers protecting their valley road necessary for supplying neighboring villages with weapons. The American soldiers had taken the first peak and were trying to take the road before they took the second peak. Cutting off weapons and hoping for a cease fire. Puck watched that night as the tank in front of him was blown in half. The fear of more IED's kept the men from continuing their assault on the road as they tried to save their fallen comrades.

Puck could have used Rachel that night. Some how when she knew something was wrong, she would hold him and try to ease his pain. He thought of her sweet lips on his face, her hand rubbing his back, as she whispered that everything was going to be okay.

He got his tape recorder out of his duffel and played back the tape that came for him today. The first thing he heard was he high pitched scream and giggle. Then he heard Santana talking. "Okay Rach this one's for Puck so you gotta tell me everything you want him to hear." Both girls sounded plastered. "San san. Give me the recorder I wanna say it privately." He could imagine Rachel getting off the stool in the kitchen and walking into their bedroom and plopping on the bed.

"Hey Noah, I'm not really drunk I'm just trying to make San feel like she's helping. Nothing helps. Nothing but hearing your voice. Today is October 17. I bet your listening to this sometime closer to December. So Happy Hanukkah. As cheesy as it is, all I want for Hanukkah is you. I know I'm the worst girlfriend ever for complaining to you. I mean your a million miles away and I can probably still bother you. And then you'd make some line like you could never bother me. And I'd just laugh because your horrible at lying to me. I miss you No', possibly more than you miss me. But at least I have Trigger." The german Shepard with his head rested on her thigh barked and Puck laughed. "I guess he misses you too. Even though I know you'll kill us both, he likes to take your spot on the bed. He keeps me warm and reminds me of you. As crazy as that sounds. I hope you don't return to me with too much facial hair, I've got enough hairy men with just this big boy." He heard her laughing at Trigger licking her face and the recorder. "Just make sure you come back to me Noah. I love you and I need you here. We have 540 days until we meet again. Alot can happen in 540 days No. Stay safe. I love you." Trigger barked again and Rachel laughed. "We love you."

Noah listened to it over and over that night. He couldn't sleep. He just needed to hear her voice all night. In the morning he got one of the fresh tapes out and put hers in his box.

"Why did we wait so long to use these? I needed to hear your voice. I've been desperate to hear you. I want to call you but the satellite phone takes a lot of bribing to get a hold of. I'm working on it. Hopefully I'll call you before you listen to this. By my count we've got 508. It's almost Christmas. I hope you get out and do all the wonderful Christmas things you love. Because I know Christmas in New York is what you live for. And you are what I live for so do it for me Rach. I love you. Have I told you that enough? I doubt it. Because I owe you more than three words but it's all I can do for now. I promise to make an honest woman out of you. But you already know that. I have to do this Rachel. Just like my duty to you. I have a duty to make a man out of myself. I love you for letting me. Even though I said you had to no say, you really have all the say. But I'm here now. And I'm staying safe. And I'm coming home to you, I swear."

He put the tape in an envelope with a letter and a picture. His tent-mate Sam walked into to their humble abode. "To a lady eh?" Puck picked up the box from his duffel.

"The lady. The only one for me." Puck smiled to himself and held the small photo album in one hand.

"Does she know that?" Sam was young and in love with every pretty southern girl from his hometown.

"Who do you think told me?" They both laughed and Puck showed the pictures to Sam. The first was a picture of Rachel holding Trigger as a puppy when Puck first got him. "That's how we met. She untied him from the tree at the coffee shop and told me that I was inhuman and rude. I tried to explain that he likes to chase birds and I hadn't even finished before he spotted a pigeon and tried to take off. But this little thing wrapped the leash around her wrist and Trigger sat perfectly still."

"You feel in love with a crazy animal activist sog whisperer?" Sam looked at Puck with a mix of confusion and disgust.

"No. My physco dog feel in love with her and I couldn't help but fall for her too." Puck flipped to the next page. It was a picture of the two of them celebrating his birthday at their apartment. Rachel was laughing and Puck had cake on his face. "Our friend Santana got that picture before leaving us to have our own cake eating party on the kitchen counter." Sam was half jealous and half disgusted. "She's still pretty sexy covered in cake." Sam just laughed and let Puck relive that night in his head.

The third page was a picture of Puck carrying Rachel They were both soaking wet and standing in the Bethesda Fountain. The fourth was Rachel and Puck at the park in their workout clothes. Rachel was doing her little yoga pose and Puck was flexing his guns. Trigger was laying down at Rachel's feet. The fifth picture was Puck's favorite. Rachel was wearing his shirt and her socks drinking coffee and sitting cross legged on the counter with her glasses on reading. The picture was her from the side and it was the Rachel that Puck loved so much.

Sam couldn't help but sigh at this one. "I hear your supposed to love them at their worst." Puck laughed because Sam didn't really get it.

"This is her at her best. The worst part is when they're all dolled up and glamorous. I'm lucky to see her like this when I get the chance."

"So it's the grand slam in the bottom of the ninth world series type of love." Sam already knew the answer so he didn't ask it like a question he just stated it. Puck nodded and smiled at the young kid. He hoped Sam would get to luck out like he did with Rachel.

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trying to get these chapters out fast but tell me what you want from this story because the more ideas the faster this gets out. and the faster it gets dirty ;)


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